It was a warm, beautiful, west coast day. A busy medical
doctor was enjoying a rare day off at a park bordering on
the Pacific Ocean. He spotted one of his medical
colleagues, beaching a small inflatable boat. The busy
doctor walked down to the beach to say hello and said,
"You look great. I never see you at the hospital, what
have you been up to?"
The retired physician replied, "My wife, youngest
daughter and I were down the inlet enjoying the sunshine,
fresh air and the cool clear water. We swam with the
seals."
The busy doctor asked, "But what do you do most of the
time?"
The retired physician replied, "I don't have an alarm
clock; I get up when I want to. I don't fight rush hour
traffic. I stopped carrying a pager. I have fun with my
family. I meet with my friends. I talk on the phone with
successful people. I pro actively promote happiness. I
help new friends earn online profits. I play with digital
photography on my computer. I visit nice restaurants. I
read good books. I take vacations. I'm having fun!"
Still curious, the busy doctor responded, "That's quite a
list, but what do you do for money?"
The retired physician smiled and replied, "I share a
simple idea that has great value. I build relationships.
I earn money when other people spend money. I receive
four passive income cheques/checks every month. It's like
having solar panels in my back yard that just keep
pumping out profits."
The busy doctor scoffed, "This is sounding like one of
those things. Why would you do that? I see fifty or more
patients daily, five days a week. I'm only on call one
night a week and one weekend a month. You're younger than
I am; you would be earning an impressive income if you
returned to your medical practice."
The retired physician asked, "How much longer do you
think I should work?"
The busy doctor quickly replied, "Only another 15 to 20
years."
"But, what then?"
The busy doctor laughed and said, "That's the best part.
When the time is right, you can sell your clinic and your
patients to a younger doctor and retire in style."
"Then what?"
The bewildered, busy doctor replied, "Then you could
sleep late, read good books, play with your family, meet
with your friends, speak with successful people, visit
fine restaurants, and enjoy vacations."
Dr. Frank Eves retired at age fifty. He lives in Deep
Cove, a delightful village, on Canada's west coast.
